Buying a property in France may be an attractive investment - as
your main residence, as a 2nd residence for vacations, or to rent
out as a source of income.

Property prices in parts of France are relatively cheap - certainly
compared to the UK. The population density in France is about
a third of that in the UK - so the price of land tends to be less.
Demand for some property is less: more people in France rent rather
than own their homes, and rural or isolated properties are less
attractive for the indigenous population.

It is
a legal requirement in France that mortgage lenders must take the affordability of any proposed new
mortgage lending into account. What this means in practice
varies from lender to lender and according to your specific
circumstances - typically no more than 33% of your pre-tax income
should be required for all of your rent, mortgage, debt
repayments and "contractual financial commitments". However,
this may be increased if you are a high earner.

If
you rent out your property in France, you may offset the interest
you pay on a mortgage for the property
against the rental income for tax purposes.

You
will need to take account of currency exchange issues. If you
do not borrow the money in Euros, you may need to pay up to 5% to
convert what you have borrowed into Euros before you can use it for
purchasing a property in France. Currency fluctuations can
work for or against you - the cost of
converting currency
will always be against you.

There
may be regional variations on the proportion of a property value
that can be borrowed against a mortgage - no more than 70% in some
areas.

There
is no requirement for a specialist
lawyer, but you are
strongly advised to seek professional help from someone who speaks
French well and can offer advice on the French Legal system.